T he powers that be at the Houston-based nonprofit Southern Smoke have 1.7 million reasons to celebrate. Southern Smoke founder Chris Shepherd and his wife Lindsey Brown, the co-founder and executive director, saw their fifth annual fundraiser The Southern Smoke Festival at Discovery Green raise that $1.7 million, the most money ever raised during a Southern Smoke event.

More than 3,000 attendees mingled among some of the best and brightest in the restaurant world. Since 2017, this charitable foundation has granted more than $15 million to workers in the food and beverage industry.

“We are so proud and inspired by the outpouring of support at this year’s Southern Smoke Festival ,” Lindsey Brown says. “Raising $1.7 million is more than another milestone for our team. It’s a lifeline fo

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